Wawel - The Hill of Fame

Wawel Hill in
Krakow, the mecca of every Pole and a must for
foreign tourists, is a microcosm of Polish
history and culture. From the 11thcentury
on Poland's monarchs took up their residence here
in the Royal Castle. And they were both
crowned and buried here, in the Wawel Cathedral where later on
Polish national heroes have also been laid to
rest since the 19th century. The place not only
overflows with priceless art treasures,
architectural beauties, relics of the past and
curiosities. It is also full of glory, magic,
history and fable.

Home to three dynasties of Poland's
monarchs. Its stately halls and exquisite
chambers are filled with priceless art, best
period furniture and rare ancient objects. The
collection of the 16th-century monumental Flemish
tapestries is matchless.

Poland's impressive national shrine
shelters plenty of superb church art. Among its
18 chapels are true architectural masterpieces.
The giant bell Zygmunt of 1520 ranks with the
world's largest. Most Polish kings and their
family members are buried in the cathedral, its
chapels and crypts, together with the greatest
national heroes, two poets, four saints and
numerous bishops .

Crown Treasury and
Armory

The Crown Treasury shows Polish royal
memorabilia, jewels and other precious items. The
adjacent Armory displays 15th to 18th-century
arms.

Huge natural cavity inside the Wawel
Hill is the legendary home of a legendary
monster.

The Lost Wawel

Archeological reserve and multimedia
tour through the history of the Wawel Hill.

The
Wawel Hill is accessible to visitors daily from
April through September between 6 a.m. and 8
p.m. and from October through March between 6
a.m. and 6 p.m. The Royal Castle's
famous inner courtyard is off limits half an
hour before the closing time.
Visitors cannot bring luggage, including
backpacks (left luggage facilities are available
at the southern gate and in the castle's inner
courtyard).
Exhibitions in the Royal Castle are closed on
Christmastide (December 24th and 25th), New Year's Day, Easter
Sunday and Monday,
November 1, and November 11. Ditto the Wawel Cathedral for tourists and the Cathedral Museum.

The
following are permanent exhibitions in the
Wawel Royal Castle:Royal
Chambers / State Rooms - historical interiors,
tapestry collection of Sigismund II Augustus,
royal portraits, Italian Renaissance furniture,
Italian and Dutch painting of the 14th to 17th
century. Royal Private Apartments - rooms where
the Polish royalty lived, period furniture and
art.
Crown Treasury and Armory
- regalia, jewelry, precious weapons, armors and
caparisons; Polish and West European.Oriental Art - Turkish tents
and banners, Turkish and Persian weapons and
carpets, Chinese and Japanese ceramics. The Lost Wawel -
archaeological and architectural reserve of the
early-11th-century church of St. St. Felix and
Adauctus' with surroundings; objects excavated
by archeologists on the Wawel Hill; ornate stove
tiles of the 16th and 17th century. Plus
multimedia presentation of the Wawel Hill's
history.

From
May through October visitors may also take
guided tours of the castle's gardens arranged
in historical styles.

Note: There
is a daily limit on the number of visitors to
each Wawel exhibition. Tickets state the
time of the tour.

The
Wawel
Cathedral
outclasses even the adjacent Royal Castle. A
single ticket allows seeing the cathedral
itself, the Royal Tombs in its crypts, and its
belfry with a giant Sigismund
Bell.

The
Wawel Hill's other outstanding places of
interest are the Cathedral Museum and Dragon's
Den.